Research block: Levi Lightcap

Have you ever hit a wall with your research of an ancestor? I have, many times, but my current stumbling block is Levi Lightcap, my 3rd great grandfather. More specifically, I’m having trouble identifying his parents. All I know is that he was born in New Jersey. Other than that, it’s pure speculation as to who his parents and siblings are.

I’ve been stumped so much that I set up an appointment in July to meet with a researcher at the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For those unfamiliar, this is the largest repository for genealogical research in the Midwest. In fact, it’s second only to Salt Lake City as a genealogical resource in the United States.

Anyway, I forwarded about 60 pages of research to them that I hope will generate some leads. There’s been research done on other Lightcap’s, but none involving Levi. I’ve found researchers who link him to a brother, but have nothing that verifies this assertion. Verification is key. Without it, assertions means nothing. I’ve not seen any researcher with information about his parents.

I hope that the Genealogical Center researcher can help. Since Levi died in North Judson, Indiana, and suffered a strange death (he was accidentally shot at work while his son struggled with another man over a gun), I’m hoping they have more information. The newspaper articles I’ve found have been of little assistance, except a few days ago I found an article in the Wisconsin State Journal that said that three men were arrested after Levi was shot, including his son. Maybe there’s police documentation that’s available. But I have no idea how to go about getting arrest records, or even if that’s possible.

[…] As I’ve stated before, my mom and I have been researching the Lightcap family for YEARS. It’s been absolute torture trying to figure out the children of John and Mary Lightcap, parents of my ggg-grandfather Levi Lightcap. All the research has used indirect evidence. Let me tell you, indirect evidence is frustrating. […]